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EA SPORTS™ Rugby 08

Overview

Celebrate the 2007 Rugby World Cup™ with the only official and exclusive licensed videogame

Experience all of the excitement of the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France as you challenge the best teams and players ever assembled for global supremacy. A nation's destiny is in your hands when you take control of one of the officially licensed national teams and power your way through a gruelling six-week World Cup campaign for the sports' ultimate prize - the glorious Webb Ellis Cup.

Take complete control of managing your favourite squad, emulating its attacking style and, for the first time ever, use new authentic defensive formations. Adjust your defence on the fly to keep momentum on your side or counter your opponent's attacking style by changing your defensive strategy based on score, field position, and more.

This year EA SPORTS Rugby 08 introduces a layered pick-up-and-play control system for set pieces and drop kicks. Now you take full command over every scrum and maul with enhanced push and rotation controls, make line-outs look easy with a simplified control scheme for the novice player and advanced mechanics for the pro, and master the new kicking meter to score those key penalties and conversions.

The world is yours for the taking in EA SPORTS Rugby 08.

Recreate 30 classic moments in World Cup history using modern teams for fans to unlock exclusive World Cup highlight videos.

Play as your national side in its official World Cup kit as you go for the ultimate glory on the world stage for the Webb Ellis Cup.

With an unprecedented level of customised camera angles, zero in on all the action on the field by zooming in on rucks and scrums.

Preview

Tough tackling World Cup rugby on PS2

Prepare to dig in deep and fight for World Cup victory with Rugby 08 from EA Sports'

With the Rugby World Cup set to thrill fans everywhere, EA Sports has taken up the challenge once more of bringing rugby's special sporting blend of passionate action, tactics and the odd spot of rough-housing directly to the comforts of your own home.

Getting into a ruck

It's easy to tell Rugby 08 is the officially licensed videogame of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, before you even kick a single oval-shaped ball. The presentation is an immaculate mixture of real life footage and contemporary music to create an authentic and strong pre-match atmosphere for the game.

This only serves to heighten the build-up, once the extensive nature of Rugby 08 sets in. All 20 of the national teams are available for selection, with not only official kits, badges and stadiums accurately recreated, but also the fearsome facial features of key players and any particular traits unique to specific nations. The mighty All Blacks' haka ritual has never looked more terrifyingly authentic.

Positively scrumptious

The realism continues in the gameplay, with the sport's nuances shining through. Passing and scrum pushing are well devised and intuitive, creating a quick and flowing game complimented nicely with fluid animation that highlights the action's intensity and authenticity. A new kicking meter has also been introduced to refine the technique for those all-important conversion and penalty moments without removing any of the tension, while everything else is assisted by an intelligent button layout, designed to gently work you into the game with minimal hassle.

However, despite the ease of play thanks to a well designed control system and numerous training/tutorial modes, there's no loss depth in Rugby 08. Tactics and strategy remain a huge part of winning games, as the artificial intelligence of computer controlled players on both sides constantly searches for weaknesses against rivals, adjusting attack and defence on the fly to maintain momentum. Squad rotation, shrewd on-pitch decisions and unforced errors can affect team morale which in turn can make grinding out victory - or worse, pulling back a score deficit - more difficult.

The world is yours

Fans looking to experience more than just winning the Webb Ellis World Cup won't be disappointed with what else is on offer in the game. A host of club teams are on hand to vary proceedings, as are a number of other competitions, including the European Trophy and the Guinness Premiership. Should you wish to revisit former glories, there's also the World Cup Challenge, which recreates 30 of the biggest moments in the competition's history using modern teams in objective based challenges, rewarding you with exclusive World Cup highlight videos.

Rugby 08 is ideal for any rugby fan. Its high production values are in good company with the deep and intuitive gameplay, while the various modes and features will extend enjoyment long after the glory and heartache of the World Cup passes. Pick it up - it's worth more than just a mere try.